Higher Education Expectations

Our Towns: Stafford

August 19, 1999

Stafford has reason to celebrate. For three consecutive years, the percentage of high school seniors who have gone on to higher education has increased. That progress means more opportunities. Parents play a vital role in keeping those statistics climbing.

In 1996, the number of Stafford seniors planning to attend a two- or four-year college was 66 percent. It rose to 71 percent in 1997, 74 percent in 1998, and 81 percent in 1999. The increase is stunning.

Statewide, 72.2 percent of students went on to post-secondary education in 1996. State Department of Education spokesman Tom Murphy estimated the 1998 rate at about 76 percent. Stafford came from behind to pass the state average.

Superintendent George Apuzzi and Stafford High School Principal Francis Kennedy are two big reasons for the improvement. They've focused on helping more seniors seek higher education because they believed many eligible students didn't apply to college. They encouraged more teenagers to take college board examinations.

The most significant factor was getting parents more involved. Every Wednesday evening for two years, when school was in session, the high school guidance department and library have been open. Parents can go for advice on preparing their children for college. The high school also holds early-morning guidance coffees, monthly luncheons with the principal and monthly Wednesday evening workshops.

Each session has programs to help students succeed academically. They range from tips on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test to help with college applications. Many families don't know what's available, financially and academically. These outreach programs fill that gap.

There's no reason to miss these opportunities. The school staff has done its share. If parents do theirs, Stafford seniors should keep climbing to a successful future.